Exodus 3:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He will not heed your voice. However, not out of reliance on the might of his strength or the protection offered by his false gods, but rather out of arrogance, for which I shall strike the Egyptians with all the marvels that I will perform among them. After these events, he will release you.

Why did God, knowing in advance that Pharaoh would resist, choose not to punish him immediately? What God foresaw, He made evident: for He declares, I know that Pharaoh king of Egypt will not let you go, except with a strong hand; and He stretched forth His hand, I will smite the Egyptians (Ex. 3: 19-20). Yet, being good and compassionate, He does not resort to punishment solely based on His foreknowledge. Instead, He allows events to unfold, demonstrating the righteousness of His judgment to all. Additionally, it was far more just for Pharaoh's malice and evil to be made clear rather than creating a notion that God was unwelcoming. Had He enacted punishment prior to the warning, He would have been seen as cruel and unjust. In contrast, the patience of God is now evident, while Pharaoh's depravity and brutality are laid bare.

Pharaoh's obstinacy, understood within God's foreknowledge, serves as a component of Divine Providence. This likely contributed to the cohesion of Israel as a singular entity and strengthened the familial bonds that linked the Hebrews in a land that was foreign to them.